COVID-19 Vaccines Make Progress, But Will People Be Willing To Get It? – KCBS

Related: Fauci: 'Considerable Concern' People Won't Trust Vaccine

An experimental coronavirus vaccine out of Oxford University is showing promise on two counts.

British researchers partnering with the drug company AstraZeneca first began testing the vaccine in April in about 1,000 people, about half of whom got the experimental vaccine. In research published Monday, scientists said their experimental vaccine produced neutralizing antibodies as well as a reaction in the body's T-cells, which help fight off the virus.

The small scale test was performed mainly to determine if the vaccine is safe, but researchers say the early result is encouraging.

But despite major efforts to develop a vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, recent polls show that as many as 50% of Americans would not get the vaccine.

"I certainly can understand that given the political background to this,"said Dr. John Swartzberg, infectious disease and public health expert with UC Berkeley. "Distrust comes from the distrust of the White House and all of the messages weve been getting out of the White House and theyve created such confusion."

Dr. Swartzberg saidthat there are a variety of reasons why people might hesitate to get the vaccine. Skepticism is high among Black Americans who have a history of being mistreated by the medical establishment, "specifically with the infamous Tuskegee experiments of earlier in the 20th century."

Others may not want to be first in line.

"There will be a lot of people initially reticent. But as people start to see, 'Wow this vaccine works and nobodys having any problems with it,'more and more people will get it,"he said.

But Dr. Swartzberg does not anticipate that this will create a major barrier to slowing the spread of the virus, as the low demand could match the initial low supply. "Frankly, thatll work out just fine. Because its not like once we announce we have a vaccine all of a sudden well have enough for everybody in America much less everybody on the planet."

He estimates that a safe and effective vaccine could be ready by spring of 2021.

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COVID-19 Vaccines Make Progress, But Will People Be Willing To Get It? - KCBS